Air Travel With Your Pet
There is an article today in the NY Daily News about how 2 puppies were flown in the cargo area from Mexico to NYC . One puppy FROZE to death and the other one almost died. If you have to travel, please do not let the airlines put your animal in with the luggage. The luggage/cargo areas are not designed for sentient beings - they are designed for luggage. Cargo areas are not heated or air conditioned, not oxygenated nor air compressed. Many animals die in the cargo area. Imagine if you get stuck on the runway for 3 hours, in 100+ degree August heat in Dallas and your dog is in the baggage compartment. Your animal will be lucky to arrive at destination alive. Many, many pets die at the hands of airlines and callous baggage handlers-- they don't publicize it and they get away with it because there are no laws to protect your animal.

Think of that man who was found as a stowaway on an airplane last week -- they found him frozen to death when the flight landed in Tokyo.

When you book flights, always ask for an airline that will allow your pet on board with you in the main cabin. Many will for an extra fee. By all means, pay it and have your animal be safe in the main cabin.

I have also found there is a special airline just for pets. It is worth looking into : http://petairways.com/ . Pet Airways is the first airline exclusively dedicated to pet travel and pet safety. With Pet Airways, your pet will be safe and comfortable flying in the main cabin --- not in cargo!

Be kind to our animal friends. Your pet is not a piece of luggage.

Over 200 posts
I just realized I have written in excess of 200 posts. So please, scroll around and check out the older postings. You might find something interesting!

Yoga Kicks Ass ....

I taught a class recently and there was a student in the class who really should have been in an easier class than mine. On top of that, she was wearing a snug, long sleeve top, and she walked in late (see more on that on earlier post) -- stomping around, snapping out her mat, arranging multiple blankets, oblivious to the fact the other students were meditating. She struggled through the class, was smart enough to know her limits (which is all good) but I think she was actually surprised that my class was demanding and that I actually made her sweat. At the end of class, she was very gracious and made the comment that my class was "intense"... I am not sure that was meant entirely as a compliment -- but I strongly suspect that intensity was something she had never experienced in yoga.

This student came to yoga class expecting it to be easy. Actually, a lot of students are under this impression. They think they are just going to float through a class.

Yoga kicks ass. There is no other way to put it. Yoga is a very mental practice. Yoga challenges you in ways you never imagined - it takes you to the edge physically, mentally and emotionally. It will make you come face to face with inner emotions you never wanted to meet. Yoga will challenge your will and bring you to your knees until you let go of the fear through surrender. "Intense" doesn't begin to cover it.

So, if you are practicing yoga and finding that your class is easy, pleasant and not physically, mentally or emotionally demanding of you -- you're not doing yoga.

I don't know if that means you are in the wrong yoga class or if that means you are not really present on your mat. But you are not getting your money's worth.

Yoga kicks your ass whether you like it or not. Surrender to it. That is how it changes you. You have to let go -- release. That is where you find the healing in yoga. That's how you can take those changes off the mat and incorporate them into your everyday life.

I dont teach the hardest class in the city but if you come to my class, be prepared to sweat, be prepared to work hard to find your center.... because in the name of yoga, I'm prepared to kick your ass (gently, of course).

Namaste.

Funny Video !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnVXld9ZaE0

Just do yoga ! : )

Movie : Sita Sings the Blues
This is a really cool indi film done by Nina Paley, an American cartoon animator. That's some of her artwork in the picture with this post.

Essentially, here's the gist: An American artist/cartoon animator is married and living in the US. Her husband gets transferred to India for work. She eventually joins him in India but is surprised to find out he now wants a divorce. Now she is heartbroken -- and far from home. The result of this pain, is that she interweaves the story of her own heartbreak with the story of the Hindu Goddess Sita, (who also had a rocky love life) and being a cartoon artist, she journals the whole thing into an animated film. Her choice of using American Blues for the soundtrack is brilliant.

The beauty of this film is not just the fine artwork, but the cleverness of how the artist intertwined the same story in two cultures, not just visually and emotionally, but also aurally -- ancient and modern, Hindu and Western -- she shows how the fraility of the heart is the same for all -- even if you are a beautiful Goddess.

Find out more about the artist Nina Paley at http://www.ninapaley.com/

I highly recommend seeing this film -- I hear you can view online !

Delicious kale recipe !!
I had this the other day at Whole Foods -- it was so crazily delicious that I googled the recipe and was surprised and delighted to find this. Try it -- it is sooo scrumptious and good for you too ! Kale is one of those nutritious superfoods we should all try to incorporate into our diet. The Braggs Liquid Aminos is easily found at Whole Foods or any health food store (and it's delicious too ! you can use it in any savory dish).

Kale with Seaweed, Sesame and Ginger

1/2 cup dried arame sea vegetables (food-grade seaweed)
Dark sesame oil, about 2 Tbsp
1 Tbsp peeled and minced ginger
1 bunch kale
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 Tbsp Toasted sesame seeds

1 -Rinse the seaweed in water and let soak, covered in water for 5-7 minutes. Drain seaweed and place in a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of dark sesame oil and the minced ginger.
2 -Wash kale by soaking in water, rinsing thoroughly. Chop cross-wise into 1-inch by 2-inch pieces.
3 -In a large covered skillet, uncover and heat 2 teaspoons of dark sesame oil on medium heat. Add garlic and gently sauté for one minute, until fragrant. Add the seaweed and ginger, gently cook for 1 minute. Remove seaweed/ginger/garlic from pan back to the bowl and set aside.
4 -Heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil in the skillet. Add the chopped kale. Add 3 Tbsp of Braggs. Gently mix in the pan to coat the kale with the oil and Bragg. Cover; lower heat to low; let cook for 5-10 minutes or until kale is wilted - soft enough to eat easily, but not so soft as to be mushy. Remove cover and let cook a minute more to evaporate any excess moisture. Remove from heat. Mix in the kale with the seaweed ginger mixture. Add more sesame oil and Braggs to taste. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Serves 4. - Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com